One Night in Beijing is a showcase put on in the spring by the Awareness of Chinese Culture (ARCC), a student organization on campus that seeks to spread knowledge and appreciation of Chinese culture. On April 28, hundreds of tickets were sold and the audience filled UC Rangos.  

The show consisted of more traditional acts, such as the Lion Dance, Red Handkerchief Dance, Mixed Traditional Dance, Silk Fan Dance, and Tai Chi/Sword Kung Fu, and some modern ones including the hip-hop dances, a violin concerto, and contemporary song performances. Outside of Rangos, ARCC also sold Chinese cuisine.

Most of the more traditional dances employed some elements of modern styles, lighting, and music. The dancers brought the audience to another time and dimension as they sashayed on stage in silk outfits with their fans. When the Tennessee Whiskey Band performed the theme song “One Night in Beijing,” modern rock music and traditional Chinese opera were comfortably mixed together. During the final act, the dance started out with the traditional female dancers with fans and transformed into a modern hip-hop finale.  

One Night in Beijing made use of the theme this year, “Tales from the East,” in between acts and told the stories of the Magic Paint Brush, Daughter of Heaven, and the Chinese Archer.  Not only did they connect the seemingly unrelated acts, they also painted a classic picture of the Chinese children’s bedside stories.  

Due to the stage setting, some of the dance moves on the floor were very hard to see, but all in all it was a very smooth show.  

HSS senior Alan Wu, the president of ARCC, described the show as a “very long road, […] but was worth it the whole way.” He also added that ARCC is considering moving the show to the Weigand Gym for better sitting and a bigger audience size next year.  

The tickets were 5 dollars presale or 8 dollars at the door, making the show very affordable to the student body and the larger community. Should ARCC find a more comfortable venue next year, the show will be an even more charming and amazing experience.

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